During the summer months we naturally crave and want to eat lighter foods and foods that help to naturally cool and hydrate the body. So, if you can’t stand the heat then get in the kitchen and make some raw vegan foods. I like to refer to raw vegan food preparation as “un”cooking and it is perfect for the summer season. Raw vegan foods are also perfect for cleansing and detoxifying the body, increased energy and weight loss. Replace one or two of your cooked meals this summer season for a raw vegan meal and take note on how AMAZING you feel after a highly nutritious meal.

So, I bet you are wondering:

WHAT EXACTLY IS RAW VEGAN FOOD?

Raw vegan food consists of fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts seeds, sprouts and sea vegetables. Nothing is cooked or heated above 115 to 118 degrees. The school of thought is that when fresh living foods are heated above these temperatures they will start to get depleted in their nutritional value. When some people think of raw vegan foods people think of only salads and how can that possibly be enjoyable? However, in the raw world you can create some of the same flavors and textures that you are use to consuming in the standard American diet. Check out some of my older blog post for super yummy raw recipes.

WHY RAW VEGAN FOOD?

Well once you start to feel the AMAZING and transforming results of consuming fresh living foods you might ask yourself why haven’t I been doing this all along. Raw vegan cuisine supplies you with an abundance of vitamins and minerals and is very high on the nutritional scale. Raw vegan foods are less taxing on the digestive system therefore providing us with a more light energy and a less bogged down feeling that we might experience from consuming cooked foods at each meal.

HOW DO I PREPARE RAW VEGAN FOODS?

Preparing raw vegan food is very easy especially once you get the hang of it. A lot of people think of it as difficult and time consuming. However, I’d like to suggest that it’s not very difficult just different from what we are use to. Eating fresh food in its natural state can be really simple and easy, just think of grabbing your favorite fresh fruit for breakfast or for a snack or making a delicious smoothie and if you are ready to dive all the way in you can create some really intricate dishes with exotic flavors that will send your taste buds leaping for joy. In order to make raw vegan food preparation seamless check out my older blog post on HOW TO VEGANIZE YOUR KITCHEN. Also check out some of my older blog post for some quick and easy raw vegan recipes with specific instructions on how to create the perfect raw vegan meal in the comfort of your own home.

HOW DO I FIND A RAW FRIENDLY RESTAURANT IN MY AREA?

Maybe you want to experience a raw friendly meal just to see what this type of cuisine is all about. Well if you are visiting to New York or California anytime soon you will find raw vegan food in abundance. However another great resource to check out before traveling is www.happycow.net for both vegan and raw vegan options.

Keep cool this summer and leave me a comment below on one raw vegan food that you will try this summer!!!

Beat bloating now by supporting the body in the digestive process. I like to say there are actually simple rules that should be followed while eating based on how the body functions. Breaking these rules during eating sometimes shows itself through gas, bloating and discomfort. My top 5 rules for eating are all about honoring the bodies process of properly digesting the meals that we consume. Here are my top 5 tips that you can implement while eating to aid in eliminating bloating and helping you to feel your best.

1. Chew, Chew, Chew – Be sure to thoroughly chew your food. It is essential that we chew our food until it becomes a liquid. By doing so we ease the burden on the digestive system to break down our food. In return we have more energy and feel less bloated and weighed down after eating a meal.

2. Eat fruits alone – Did you know that fruits digest super fast because they are made up mostly of water. Therefore, in order to support the body in doing its work it is ideal that we eat fruits on an empty stomach and alone. Just think if you eat a large cooked meal and then eat fruit immediately following the fruit will stay in your system until the large cooked meal is digested which could easily be a few hours. Given that the fruits will sit there and putrefy until it is able to exit the body.

3. Drink at least 30 minutes before or 30 minutes after a meal – Drinking while eating and drinking very close to meal times actually impacts the digestive process by diluting the digestive enzymes needed to help break down your meal. In return your food will go undigested or take much longer to digest leading to gas, bloating and discomfort. Put this into practice and your body will love you for it!!

4. Eat dinner at least two hours before laying down – it’s ideal to eat light during the evening since it’s so close to bed time. However, if you must eat a heavier meal a basic rule of thumb is to eat at least two hours before laying down in order to give the body enough time to properly digest the food taken in.

5. Proper food combining – the basic rules for proper food combining include combining either a protein and veggies or starch and veggies. Also, as stated above eat fruits alone. This way of eating is optimal as the body cannot digest certain foods at the same time(i.e. protein and starch require different digestive enzymes).

I GOT A JUICER, NOW WHAT? It’s now time to JUICE!!!! I recently got an inquiry from one of my subscribers who was excited about the purchase of his new juicer but was totally stuck on how to get started with juicing. So, I decided to write a blog to summarize everything you need to know to get jump started once you have added this new addition to your kitchen.

Getting in the kitchen and making your own fresh pressed juices is one of the best things that you can began to do for your health. By adding fresh pressed juices on a regular basis you are infusing your body with fresh organic hydration
and doing wonders for your body at the cellular level. The magic that is going on in the inside will reflect on the outside with beautiful glowing skin. Fresh pressed juices are amazing for creating an alkaline environment within your body and disease cannot live or grow in an alkaline environment. Adding fresh pressed juices also helps in increasing your energy and vitality. I could go on and on about all of the amazing health benefits of juicing but here’s what you need to know if you are just getting started:

TIP #1: BUY FRESH ORGANIC PRODUCE ONLY – It is essential that you only buy and juice organic produce. When you start juicing you are essentially extracting fresh organic hydration from your fresh fruits and veggies. However, if you buy produce that is not organic you run the risk of exposing your body to the chemicals and pesticides that non organic produce have been sprayed with and your efforts of doing something good for yourself then turn out to be doing more harm than good since these chemicals will be going directly into your blood stream. You can find high quality fresh organic produce that is suitable for juicing from your local health food store or local farmers market.

TIP #2: GREEN JUICES vs. FRUIT JUICES – There are different kinds of juices that you can began to make with your new juicer. Green juices help to gently restore and rejuvenate your body at the cellular level while fruit juices help to cleanse the body at an accelerated rate of unwanted toxicity. I recommend mixing fruit juices with water to minimize and balance the high sugar content. Fresh coconut water can also be used to balance out fresh fruit juices. For healthy juice recipes to help you get jump started subscribe below and download a copy of my new eBook (THE ULTIMATE JUICE DETOX RECIPES)

TIP #3: DRINK IT UP – Fresh pressed juices are different from juices that you find in your grocery store. The juices found in the grocery store have been pasteurized (heated) to help maintain a longer shelf life. However, fresh pressed juices should ideally be consumed upon making them in order to reap all of the AMAZING health benefits that they have to offer. Fresh juices are sensitive to air and heat so the longer that fresh juices are stored the more they become depleted in nutritional value.

TIP #4: STORE JUICES IN A GLASS JAR – If you must store your juices be sure to store them in glass jars and refrigerate them immediately and drink them up within a few hours. Glass mason jars are my favorite to use. Fresh pressed juices should not be stored for days.

TIP #5: SIMPLE RULES FOR CREATING THE BEST JUICES – Almost any combination of fruit juices will work and taste delicious. However, if you are new to creating green juices be sure select one or two dark leafy green vegetables, a sweet fruit such as an apple or pear, a high moisture vegetable such an cucumber or celery and an acidic fruit to cut the strong taste of your dark leafy greens such as a lemon or lime. Be sure to subscribe below to get a free copy of my eBook that has 10 delicious juice recipes to get you jump started.

Life gets in the way and everybody falls off of the wagon sometimes, even me. However the key is to not stay off of the wagon. Maybe you had a bad day or a bad week or bad month. It’s never too late to start over whether it be with your exercise regimen or your healthy eating regimen. Everyday is a new day for us to choose to nourish our higher self with love and special attention so that we can be our best and better able to serve and help others. When I first start working with clients one of their biggest challenges is that they start off doing good on their healthy eating regimen but then life happens and they fall off of the wagon. Each and everyone of us takes falling off of the wagon hard and sometimes this becomes a roadblock in preventing us from moving forward. Well here are my top 5 tips and strategies that I share with clients to help them avoid falling off the wagon and staying off the wagon.

PLAN AHEAD – Planning ahead is one of the key factors in making healthy eating a priority. Planning ahead and carving out time to do some of the less desirable tasks in your life will free up time for you to do what you want on the back end or later on in the week. Some examples of planning ahead include, cooking once but having enough to eat twice. Another example of planning ahead when traveling could be to make a list of healthy restaurants at your travel location. IF WE FAIL TO PLAN WE PLAN TO FAIL. Think ahead on how you might be able to set yourself up for success!!!

DO THE HARD WORK – Sometimes making healthy eating a priority involves doing the hard work and sometimes the hard work involves looking deep within and finding ways to nourish the longing desire in your soul. Nourishing the soul will provide you with far more joy and a much deeper satisfaction than just eating healthy food and will aid in eliminating emotional eating, and eating for entertainment and comfort. So go within and see where you need a little TLC. Maybe you need to address your relationships of find a career that resonates with your purpose or a meaningful spiritual practice. Nourish your soul first and everything else will follow.

CONNECT WITH COMMUNITY – Connect and get support from someone of like mind to share your successes and your struggles. Having a supportive environment and accountability is huge in preventing you from falling off the wagon. Find support in a close friend, local meetup group or through your own personal coach. Find out more about how I might be able to support you as your own personal coach here.

TIME MANAGEMENT – One of my coaches constantly drives home the point that if its not scheduled its not real. Managing your time wisely and carving out time to take care of yourself is super IMPORTANT. Making time for menu planning, grocery shopping, cooking and packing lunch on the front end will reduce the amount of time that you will need to do it on the back end or throughout the week. What day will you set aside for yourself? It comes down to the simple fact that we will either pay in time or money. At some point you will have to pay however, if you put in the work now you won’t have to pay with your health later. Make time now for the body that you want and the vibrant healthy life that you would like to obtain or maintain. Reduce or eliminate those thing that steal your time which can include but not limited to watching tv, surfing the internet and maybe saying yes too much to others and not saying yes to yourself).

IDENTIFY YOUR WHY – Identifying why you want to eat and be healthy is HUGE. Determining your why will be your motivation when you don’t feel like it. For most women including myself we want to look good and that can be one of the main reasons. However there are other motivating WHYS like disease prevention, increased energy, being vibrant later in life. You determine your WHY and place it where you can see it. Daily affirm your WHY!!!

Leave me a comment and let me know the one thing that you will do for your health this week to set yourself up for success!!!!

What goes in must come out!!! If not, this waste  remains within your body causing weight gain and disease. Overcoming constipation is all about supporting the digestive process in doing its work easily and efficiently. Did you know that it is not normal for us to be tired and sleepy after a meal? The foods that we consume should give us energy and ideally be eliminated after each meal depending on the amount of food consumed throughout the day. If the elimination process does not occur daily constipation leads to weight gain and toxic waste that is pushed out into your tissues and cells slowly but surely creating dis-ease. The key is to consume foods that travel freely and easy through your system which in return will eliminate constipation, hard to move stools and blockages.

Check out my top 5 tips for overcoming constipation without chemicals and chemical laxatives.

Tip #1: Let Water Rule: Make fresh room temperature water your first beverage when you wake up in the morning. Ideally you want to drink anywhere from 16 to 24 ounces of fresh water upon rising. This really gets things moving and helps to foster elimination even before you leave the house. Let water rule throughout your day as well. It really makes a huge difference. The basic rule of thumb is to drink half of your body weight in ounces. Make this a habit and you will reap all the amazing benefits of staying well hydrated along with assisting the bowels in the elimination process.

Tip #2: Eat Hydrating Foods: Hydrating foods help to keep things moving as well and contain both water and fiber. The key is to add in these foods at every meal. Hydrating foods are foods that are high in moisture content and you can think of those foods as your fresh fruits and raw veggies. You can even add in a juicy green smoothie in between meals which is ultra hydrating and gets things moving due to the high moisture and fiber content (check out my older blog post on the Perfect Green Smoothie Formula for recipes). Eat your hydrating foods first and if you are having a cooked meal eat the cooked foods last.

Tip #3: Eat Less Meat and Bread: Meat and bread are known to slow down digestion and therefore it slows down the elimination process. Minimize or eliminate these products and you will notice a dramatic improvement in your elimination. However, if you must consume these two foods be sure to accompany them with loads of veggies. Let veggies rule your plate and let meat be your side dish.

Tip #4: Proper Food Combining :Did you know that there is an optimal way to eat to support digestion and elimination? The basic rule of thumb is to eat light to heavy. The process of eating light to heavy means consuming first the foods that the body digests quickly followed by the foods that take longer to digest. Eating this way helps to foster elimination and prevents foods that digest more quickly from sitting in your body and fermenting. The next basic rule of thumb for optimal digestion and elimination is to eat fruits alone on an empty stomach, next combine proteins and veggies for a standard meal or combine starch and veggies. Protein and starch require different digestive processes and enzymes to break down and improper combining could lead to improperly digested food and constipation. By implementing this tip alone you should see a huge improvement in bowel activity.

Tip #5 Supplementation: Lastly support digestion and elimination with supplementation. Digestive enzymes are great for people who lack the enzymes to break down food due to the over consumption of cooked foods and processed foods. Probiotics help to restore the healthy bacteria in the gut aiding in digestion and elimination and finally Smooth Move which is an herbal tea that can be found at your local health food store.

Beat constipation now by implementing these tips. Leave me a comment on this post or any questions that you might have and I will respond or send me a personal note through my site.

My TOP 5 Plant Protein Sources

SO WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR PROTEIN? I decided to answer this question for people who are interested in transitioning to a plant based diet but are hesitant due to the big protein myth around plant based sources of protein. I also decided to write this post for those who honestly don’t know about high quality plant sources of protein. While the modern vegan and vegetarian culture places a lot of emphasis on mock meats as an adequate source of plant based protein. I’d like to shift the focus to getting protein from whole foods that are present in nature as a reliable source of plant based protein. The plant world offers adequate and sufficient protein sources that are easily recognizable by the body and sufficient in meeting our daily requirements.

So What is Protein?

In short, protein is essentially made up of  building blocks referred to as amino acids. Proteins are considered complete when they contain all eight essential amino acids and incomplete when all essential amino acids are not present. Our bodies make their own supply of amino acids but it is also important for us to get some of them from our food.

Why Do We Need Protein?

• to provide the body with energy
• growth and development of the body
• hormone production
• growth an repair of our tissues

What Are Adequate Sources of Plant Based Protein?

My top 5 plant sources of protein are:

Spirulina

Quinoa 

Leafy Green Vegetables

Nuts and Seeds

Legumes